Tour of Duty Backlash

Judge Dredd

by John Wagner, Gordon Rennie, Robbie Morrison

Dredd’s insistence on revoking the ban on mutants entering Mega-City One has sent ripples of dissent throughout Justice Department. Despite Chief Judge Hershey’s backing, opposition to reforms is building at the highest level – and the lawman is about to find himself banished to an outpost deep in the Cursed Earth!

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Science Fiction

200 pages, Hardcover

Published September 28, 2016

About the author

John Wagner is a comics writer who was born in Pennsylvania in 1949 and moved to Scotland as a boy. Alongside Pat Mills, Wagner was responsible for revitalising British boys' comics in the 1970s, and has continued to be a leading light in British comics ever since. He is best known for his work on 2000 AD, for which he created Judge Dredd. He is noted for his taut, violent thrillers and his black humour. Among his pseudonyms are The best known are John Howard, T.B. Grover, Mike Stott, Keef Ripley, Rick Clark and Brian Skuter. (Wikipedia)

Reviews

[Philip Higgins · Rating 5 out of 5]

This Dredd collection is dark, gripping and satirical. There's a coherent continuing story here, not always the case with this series. Our hero has turned all liberal (😯), repealing the anti-mutant laws,and getting exiled to the Cursed Earth for his troubles.
I love stories set in the Cursed Earth, a post-atomic Old West stuffed with weirdness: mutants, bandits, giant spiders...and dinosaurs (escaped from the dino parks in the wars, obvs). John Wagner is great at detailing the various Judges' characters in just a few panels. He's well served for the most part by some quality artwork, especially from Colin MacNeil and Cliff Robinson.
The series was on a good run here with taut plotting, credible characters and a consistent tone. The politics of Mega City One are all too believable and we end with a real cliffhanger. The standalone light relief tale, Dragon's Den, is a little gem. Great fun, a drokkin' blast.

[Johnny Andrews · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good run that shows even the great lawman can annoy the wrong people. Mirroring how people in the world look on ethnic people they show with a bite something similar with the mutants after being allowed in the city uproar comes and so in-house tension rises. An election for new Chief Judge and so everyone who "sided" with mutants is out and so are they into the cursed earth where townships are going to be put up to help settle them...outside of the big Meg.
Dredd as punishment is sent out of his beloved city to take charge of said townships.
It's good for the stories to put Dredd a bit ill at ease and off of his beloved streets.

[Al No · Rating 3 out of 5]

The non-Wagner strips are a bit daft, but harmless enough, I guess. Some fine art and no back-up essay this time.

[Leila Anani · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chief Judge Hershey and Dredd helped repeal the Mutie laws allowing mutants from the Cursed Earth to settle in MC1. This very controversial decision created a great deal of hate from genetic supremacists and old skool judges. Hershey is voted out of office in favour of TV star judge Dan Francisco and Dredd is forced to leave MC1 and oversee the new Mutant relocation project along with Beeny, Rico and a band of other misfit judges.

We're all familiar with the X-Men... well this is the mutant problem Judge Dredd style.
An excellent and involved story with detailed characters this is another one that would make a wonderful film. Also included in this volume are a couple of other stories of Dredd in the cursed Earth. Dragon's Den (in which Dredd hunts a dragon) and Lust in the Dust (in which Dredd goes after a mutant femme fatale who can ramp up her pheromones and drive men insane) and the tales where Dredd hunts down Pinky's band of outlaws are fun but a bit silly when compared to the serious and dark main arc here. Still it shows the scope and versatility of the Judge Dredd universe.

Over all absolutely loved this one. Strong story and great art.